GrowingStyle '12 Spring & Summer Edition

PATIO
PANACHE
3 Looks You
Can Plant
Yourself
BIG COLOR!
Tropic-inspired
hibiscus
Flower-filled
privacy screens

PLANT A PARTY
• Tablescaping tips
• elebratory
C
centerpieces
• rowing gift bags
G

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PLUSak
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pea rends
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GrowingStyle

CONTENTS
Spring | Summer 2012

0003........ ood Dirt
G
Garden fresh tips: healthful
houseplants, best balcony bloomers,
hot color trends and more!

0005........ ropical Punch
T
Huge flowers, bold colors—
hibiscus offers instant-impact patio
décor. Meet the new Tropic Escape
hibiscus varieties.

0007........ lan(t) a Party!
P
Tablescape a party theme with
mini succulents, cacti, orchids and
lucky bamboo.

0009........ ream Screens
D
Improve the view (or grow a little
privacy) with fast-growing
mandevilla vine.

0011........ hat’s Your Plant Personality?
W

Get happy with flower
Are you a Fashionista or a Minimalist?
Discover the perfect plant for you!

and foliage color! 0013........ he Color Report
T
Spring garden shows from around the
world give a sneak peek look into
When you surround yourself with plants, you feel happier. garden color trends.
Whether you pack your patio with tropical flowers or fill your house
0015........ resto! Patio Style
P
with leafy and blooming beauties, you’ll find yourself smiling. Create the patio of your dreams! Three
In this issue of GrowingStyle, we’re bringing you many shades of happy. different looks you can replicate in your
New plants, vibrant colors, big, bold blooms. Bring the vibe of the own backyard.
tropics to your deck or porch with the NEW Tropic Escape™ Hibiscus.
See the wild selection of big blooms on page 5. Do you have a party
coming up? Graduations, birthdays, Mother’s and Father’s Day—there
More Photos
More Blooms are so many reasons to celebrate this season! See our collection of festive
If you can’t get party ideas using succulents, orchids, cacti and lucky bamboo on page 7.
enough of gorgeous And there are so many more ways to color your world with plants
flower photos, check in this issue.
out the behind-the- Be social: Find us on Facebook,
scenes slideshow of Twitter, YouTube and Flickr
bonus images from
Happy planting!
our spring photo Karen Weir-Jimerson
shoot in Miami. Editor, GrowingStyle

1 GROWINGSTYLE | WWW.GROWINGSTYLEMAG.COM WWW.GROWINGSTYLEMAG.COM | GROWINGSTYLE 2

GS ~ Good Dirt

Good Dirt
Dig into these garden trends for a colorful spring.
Get a (Decorating) Clue
Take your inspiration for outdoor décor from Mother Nature (the original Exterior
Decorator!) Let plants, such as this showy red aglaonema, guide the palette for outdoor
furnishings and accessories.

Air Repair {Pink} {Green} {Cream} {Red}
Your peace lily wants
you to breathe easier.
Add just one plant for
every 100 square feet
of living space and
you’ll have cleaner
air. According to a
Plump up pink Create cool shade Cover cushions with Plant red ceramic
NASA study, indoor pillows on benches with a green canvas creamy color. containers with
houseplants remove and chairs. umbrella. foliage and flowers.
up to 87 percent of
volatile organic
compounds (VOCs)
in the home—
including tobacco
smoke, carpet glue
and other yucky stuff
you don’t want in
your lungs. Plants are
overzealous air
Flowing Flowers scrubbers, working
day and night, 24/7.
Cascading, tendrilous, flower-filled annuals bloom their hearts
Which plants best
out from spring through fall--dressing up boring balconies and nuke toxins? Take a
jazzing up porches with their lush and verdant charms. Meet some deep breath and
plants that want to hang out with you this summer: click here.

Red aglaonema

Nature’s Best
Say “so long” to controversial peat soil mixes and hello to
eco-friendly coir (pronounced CORE). Made from coconut
husks, this byproduct is essentially coconut husk dust. Plentiful
Petunia Calibrachoa Osteospermum and sustainable, coir is used to make rugs, ropes—and is an
Light: Full sun Light: Full sun Light: Full sun ideal potting soil mixture. It holds water like a sponge (7 times its
Grows: Up to 16 inches Grows: Up to 4 feet Grows: Up to 2 feet weight), is lightweight, easy to wet down and provides excellent
Container BFF: Container BFF: Container BFF: aeration so plant roots can wiggle their toes.
Verbena Angelonia Scaevola


GS ~ Tropical Punch

Tropical Punch
Give your garden a blast of eye-popping color with a
citrus-y selection of Tropic Escape Hibiscus.
Hibiscus Care
You don’t need to
live in the tropics to
enjoy the big blooms
and leafy foliage
of tropical hibiscus.
Here are care tips:

1. Choose a location
that receives full sun.
2. Clip off faded
flowers to encourage
more flowering.
3. Keep soil moist,
but not wet; hibiscus
don’t like wet feet.
4. In frost-free
areas, plant in the
ground; hibiscus make
colorful hedges.
5. In areas that
receive frost, protect
plants (or bring
Seven-inch-wide them indoors) when
Snip off plate-size blooms
flowers add big color! to use as table decor. temperatures drop
below 50 degrees.

Perk up color-starved patios and porches with vibrant container
plantings inspired by the tropics. New colors, bigger size
The buzz in the world of blooming
Go for big blooms Add tropical flair Orange is in! tropicals is all about the NEW Tropic
For instant impact on patios and One of the fastest transformations Tropical colors are in this year Escape Hibiscus line. New for 2012, these
porches, choose plants with big, from winter-weary bare patios to says the Pantone Institute wildly colored varieties were once raised
showy flowers. Tropic Escape™ tropical delight is with color. Add of America who named only by hibiscus collectors—but now they
Hibiscus is a shrub that grows in flower color at all levels: in the “Tangerine Tango” the color of are available to everyone. The series,
the ground in USDA Zones 9-11 ground surrounding patios and the year. Trendy gardens are named after tropical drinks, offer some of
or in any type of container, even porches, as tabletop centerpieces, wearing this citrusy hue this the most amazing color combos ever seen
large hanging baskets. It offers and in hanging baskets. Easy-to- spring in petal form. Try in hibiscus. Plus, if you are looking for flower
one of the largest blooms around. grow hibiscus bloom in all the orange-hued Tropic Escape longevity, this new hibiscus doesn’t
Each plant produces huge, showy hues of a tropical sunset and ‘Mandarin Mojito’ or ‘Tiki disappoint. Tropic Escape Hibiscus
flowers with ruffled, overlapping grow fast in summer’s heat and Temptation’ to infuse tropical produce huge flowers that stay in bloom
petals that seem to swirl in place. humidity. Their tubular buds festivity on porches and patios. twice as long as regular hibiscus. Plants
Flowers measure up to 7 inches unfurl into oversized, stunning are sold in citrus-colored containers so you
across, so you can see them from flowers. And plants bloom like don’t need to repot them. Just set them on
far away (count on curb appeal). crazy from spring to frost. the patio and enjoy the tropical vibe!


GS ~ Plan(t) a Party

Plan(t) a Party
Create a lush and colorful centerpiece that pulls double-
duty as party favors.
Spring is the season for parties: graduations, incorporate plants in my table settings.”
birthdays, weddings, and showers (not to Create gorgeous tablescapes with orchids,
mention Easter and Mother’s Day!). With so cacti, succulents, and lucky bamboo. Dish
many things to check off your party to-do list, them up for a gorgeous centerpiece. Then,
why not let plants handle the décor details? like a smorgasbord of bloom, let your guests
“Plants are so easy to decorate with because self-serve individual plants into gift bags and
they are naturally green, lush, and gorgeous,” boxes and take them home.
says garden designer and plant-scaper Here are tips from Calvert for creating a
Laura Calvert of Orlando, Florida. “I always beautiful (and easy!) table setting using plants:

Follow a color theme. “I love using succulents Think small. Use plants, such as adorable mini lucky
because of their versatile colors—grays, blues and bamboos, as place settings. Insert a lucky bamboo
greens,” says Calvert. “They’re perfect for a tropical into a footed glass filled with green gel beads and
party because they mimic a coral reef,” she says. top with a paper umbrella. Party guests love leaving
with a growing piece of the party.

See more party centerpiece and favor ideas!

Meet the Minis!
Mini plants make easy centerpieces. Group them
together in a basket, then encourage guests to take
them home as party favors.
Lucky Bamboo
Insert lucky bamboo plants into colorful gel beads in a
small cup or glass and use as a place setting decoration.
Cool Cacti
Textural and symmetrical cacti look lovely in a line-up
down the center of a table.
Miniature Orchids
Go for the bold. “Big splashy flowers make a big Offer party favors. Size up the plants and get gift Pint-size orchids make elegant centerpieces when
statement on the table,” says Calvert, who uses containers that encourage guests to take a piece of grouped together on a cake stand. Or add a single
potted flowering plants such as Tropic Escape the centerpiece home (and a growing memory of mini orchid to each place setting.
Hibiscus in centerpieces—just as one might use cut the party!). Use colorful boxes with wire handles, clear Super Succulents
flowers. “They’re so easy and practical,” she says. plastic bags, or see-through “buckets” from party- or
Preorder Succulents offer organic textures and earthy hues.
Another fast party tip: set around bowls of citrus fruit; craft-supply stores. Add a flounce of tissue paper to
Minis Individual plants (or a clustered group) add natural,
they’re colorful—and edible—table decorations. add to the festive look.
Now! simple beauty.


GS ~ Dream Screens

Dream Screens
Use climbing, upwardly mobile Sun Parasol mandevillas
to create a flower-filled wall of bloom.
If the view from your back patio is, well, your wall of blooms. They grow well in the pots they
neighbor’s back patio, you need some privacy. were purchased in or can be inserted into larger
Sure, you can erect a fence, but there’s a more decorative containers. Make sure they have
floral solution: use fast-growing vines, such as adequate drainage.
mandevillas, to create a green foliage screen Scale new heights. Plant several mandevillas
studded with gorgeous blooms. into a long low planter and add a climbing
structure, such as a piece of lattice or wrought
Fill in the blanks iron, to create height. Like roses, clematis and
“Mandevillas offer big blooms and glossy other climbing vines, mandevillas will climb
Screen the view. leaves,” says Dr. Kate Santos, Director of (and cover) whatever structure is available.
A line-up of mandevillas make a floral
Research and Development at Costa Farms, Plant a skyline. Plant mandevilla vines in
screen that improves the view with
gorgeous blooms and glossy foliage.
grower of Sun Parasol® mandevilla vines. “We alternating tall and short containers to create a
sell these fast-growing vines in gallon pots that staggered effect—a sort of floral skyline.
come with their own trellis,” she says. In warm climates, you can also plant
With several oversize containers of mandevillas directly in the ground where they
Growing tips mandevillas, you can create a wall of flower can live all year; they are hardy in USDA Zones
Here’s how to keep and foliage that screen out any view— 9-11. Anywhere else, treat them like an annual
your Sun Parasol making a beautiful backdrop for your own or bring them indoors once the temperatures
mandevillas looking patio entertaining. drop to 50 degrees. If you plan to overwinter
great all summer: Here are some ideas for screening the view: your mandevillas, don’t allow them to grow
Light: Mandevillas
Create a conga line of bloom. Place pots of through a fence or other stationary object
do best in full sun,
but will tolerate
mandevillas—shoulder to shoulder—to make a because they are nearly impossible to untwine.
partial shade.
Water: Keep soil
damp, not wet. Add versatile mandevilla to patios,
Water slowly to give porches and landscapes
the soil time to soak
1. Fill hanging with graceful upward in the ground and train
up moisture. Spray
baskets. What goes sweeps of color. onto a fence—then
leaves to keep
up, also grows down. One of the fastest stand back and watch
them clean and
Mandevilla’s vining growing vines, it take off.
shiny. Pots should
growth habit makes it mandevillas thrive in
have drainage holes
ideal for filling hanging the hot and humid 4. Enhance porch
so plants don’t sit
baskets. The vines trail summer temperatures. and patio color.
in water.
downward, cascading Mandevilla is a tropical
Fertilizer: Feed every
over the planter sides. 3. Cover up and beauty that grows
other week using a
No trellis is needed! disguise. Mandevilla’s exuberantly in hot
10-10-10 (equal
twining nature makes weather, making it an
parts nitrogen,
2. Smother arbors it a perfect cover-up ideal summer plant for
phosphorus and
and pergolas in plant for utilitarian patios and porches—
potassium) water-
bloom. Mandevilla barriers such as chain from Miami to Maine.
soluble fertilizer.
easily scales structures link fences. Just plant


GS ~ Plant Personality

What’s your Plant Personality?
Everyone has a perfect plant partner. And perhaps even
more than one.
The Traveler The Fashionista The Procrastinator The Minimalist

Your profile: You like
clean consistency and
good lines.

Best plant: Sansevieria

Why you are meant for
each other: Also called
Snake Plant, this agave
relative offers easy
care and sculptural
good looks. The tall,
thick, spearlike leaves
impart color, texture,
and a consistent verti-
cal growth habit. No

Wow Your Landscape
flopping, no drama, just
gorgeous controlled
performance. It’s clean
modern architecture in
plant form. Line them up SunPatiens® is a super impatiens that loves the sun as
on a window in match-
ing containers and en-
much as the shade. SunPatiens flourishes everywhere!
joy the quiet symmetry.
Easy-care, Big blooms, Non-stop, Color your landscape—
maintenance-free vivid colors, lush leaves three-season bloom in all light conditions
Want to know more
SunPatiens are the ideal SunPatiens bloom in a A hybrid between wild Impatiens used to be
about Sansevieria?
plant for gardeners who range of glowy colors— impatiens and New the stars of only shady
want to admire their pink, coral, orange, Guinea impatiens, spots in the yards. But
landscape, not work in red, fuchsia, and white. SunPatiens is a versatile SunPatiens can grow
it. SunPatiens stand up Foliage is robust and landscape and con- anywhere! Sun, shade—
(and look gorgeous) colorful too—ranging tainer plant that offers and everywhere in
during the hot, humid from bronzy to varie- gorgeous blooms from between.
summer days. Plus, gated, depending on spring through fall. You
the flowers are self- the variety. get full, rich color for
cleaning, so there’s no three seasons!
deadheading.



more than one.

Your profile: It’s not that
you’re forgetful—you
just have the tendency
to put off things.

Best plant:
Succulent

Why you are meant
for each other: Fleshy,
colorful succulents are
engineered to be easy
care. Their tolerant
nature means they’ll
forgive your forgetful
watering ways.
Succulents store their
own hydration in their
leaves, stems and roots,
which gives them their
distinctive thick-leafed,
fleshy appearance. This
humble houseplant will
become an instant
family member because
it exudes so much
laid-back personality.
Although succulents
don’t need the
spotlight, they do like
high-light locations.

Want to know more
about Succulents?



more than one.

Your profile: You love
fashion and a little
flirty fun.

Best plant: Moth Orchid

each other: This long-
flowering houseplant
offers a flirty spray of
exotic flowers that
stay in bloom for up
to three months. (Can
cut flowers do that?)
Flowers bloom in a
range of glowy colors:
white, light pink, fuchsia
and yellow. Some
have showy splashes
and spots. Beautiful!
Moth orchids are the
perfect accessory for
any décor style—from
Miami modern to New
York eclectic. She likes
indirect sunlight and
regular watering. For all
her beauty, Moth Orchid
isn’t a prima donna.
She’s one of the easiest
orchids to grow.

Want to know more
about Moth Orchid?



more than one.

Your profile: You’re on
the road (or in the air)
for business or pleasure.
So you have a hard time
keeping up with your

Ad
friends—much less
your plants.

Best plant: The
Zamioculca, also
known as the ZZ plant.

each other: No matter
where your travels take
you, this patient plant
will welcome you home
with a fanfare of foliage.
ZZ won’t ever send you
on a guilt trip for being
left alone so long. He’s
one of the strongest
plants on the market.
He thrives in low light
and requires sporadic
watering—but isn’t
needy and demanding.
Whether you are there
or not ZZ grows,
flourishes and is a
true survivor.

Want to know more
about ZZ?


GS ~ The Color Report

The Color Report
Discover what trendy container gardens are
wearing this season.
Spring garden shows around the world give fortune-telling glimpses into emerging trends.
Intrepid travelers from Costa Farms attended spring shows to suss out what’s hot in the
United States, Europe and China. Here’s a sneak peek:

Fashion for Plants
Houseplants flaunt their stuff with fashionable new pots.

Organic and earthy. Bright and chic. Romantic. Modern. Classic.
Whatever your indoor/outdoor décor calls for, Scheurich makes a
container to add instant panache to potted plants. Pick a plant,
pair it with a container and ta-da! you have a dining room cen-
terpiece, a living room accent, or a patio focal point. Horticultural
fashionistas will be thrilled with the spring line of container colors.


GS ~ The Color Report

The Color Report
Discover what trendy container gardens are
wearing this season.
Spring garden shows around the world give fortune-telling glimpses into emerging trends.
Intrepid travelers from Costa Farms attended spring shows to suss out what’s hot in the
United States, Europe and China. Here’s a sneak peek:

{Plants+Pots+Bling}
The best-dressed containers feature a
cool pot, gorgeous foliage and bling-y
add-ons such as colorful underplantings,
showy mulches and quirky stick-ins.
Trend Takeaway: Infuse your personality
in your containers by adding things you
love: jeweled toppers, swirls of ribbon,

{Eye-popping color} foam flowers.

Bright bold colors—for containers and
plants—add instant impact to patios
and porches. Garden tools and
containers sport sporty colors too.

{Act natural} Trend Takeaway: Orange, red, purple—
everything bright goes well with green.
Natural materials—bark, stones, shells—
are still the rage in garden interiors
and exteriors.
Trend Takeaway: Add natural elements {Fun with fiber}
to containers by mulching with small Containers are slipping into something
shells, smooth stones or sea glass. more comfortable. Pots clad in cloth
Containers that mimic natural elements coverings—denim, knits, crochet,
and colors are hot. cheesecloth, burlap—dress up patios
and porches.
Trend Takeaway: Soften hard containers
by slipping them into cloth gift bags for a
fast wardrobe change.

{Be in the pink}
Sugary sweet or sultry sexy: Pink can
Fashion for Plants
Houseplants flaunt their stuff with fashionable new pots.
swing several ways. From formal to
tropical gardens, pink plays starring
Organic and earthy. Bright and chic. Romantic. Modern. Classic.
roles. Hibiscus, kalanchoe, anthurium,
Whatever your indoor/outdoor décor calls for, Scheurich makes a
petunias, pansies; they all come in
container to add instant panache to potted plants. Pick a plant,
romantic to sizzling shades of pink.
pair it with a container and ta-da! you have a dining room cen-
Trend Takeaway: Punctuate outdoor
terpiece, a living room accent, or a patio focal point. Horticultural
spaces with pink pots, pink plants, pink
fashionistas will be thrilled with the spring line of container colors.
accessories.


GS ~ Presto! Patio Style

Presto! Patio Style
What’s your patio wearing this spring? Try on a
cool new look this season.
Step out this spring with a new look for your patio. We’ve created three
looks with different patio furnishings, plans and plants. What’s your
patio style? Click on the garden—then copy the look!

What’s cool for
2013? You tell us!
Here are three cool new plants for
next year’s gardens—which do you
like the best? Vote for your favorite!

‘Cool Wave’
Pansy

arpet’
‘Golden C
Mercad onia

{Formal Garden} {Mi Terraza} {Tropical Shade Garden} ‘Phloxy Lady
’ Phlox
Create a traditional formal garden using plants A colorful sun-loving garden is filled with bright Light up any shaded spot with colorful tropical
that deliver structure and color. color and the soothing sounds of trickling water. plants. Plant a piece of paradise with these
bedding beauties.
• Hedge: Podocarpus
• Hedge: Clusia
• Borders: Ilex vomitoria • Pink and Red Aglaonema
• Border: Begonia ‘Solenia Orange’
• olor quadrants: Ornamental Kale, Nemesia
C • Draceana Song of India
• Fountain containers: Senetti Purple Bicolor
and Snapdragons • Croton ‘Norma’
• Trellis base: Yellow Calibrachoa
• Anthurium
• Trellis base (to climb up): Bougainvillea
• Tropic Escape Hibiscus
• Blue containers: Heliconia, Tropic Escape Hibiscus
• Chlorophytum ‘Thai’
• Arboricola ‘Mini’
• In trees: Phalaenopsis Orchids


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